Need help with my Mastodon server, I can’t search anywhere else but my own

[stvslkt]

Hello! I’m having issues with my mastodon server. I followed a YouTube video and everything seemed fine. I created a linode to host my server, download mastodon from cloudron and did exactly as the video said to do. The issue that I’m having though is that I can’t search for other users, I can’t search for hashtags, and it just seems like I’m locked out of the rest of mastodon for some reason? Any help would be amazing and if you need more information please let me know!

[nebulon]

Have you checked the docs at https://docs.cloudron.io/apps/mastodon/#federation to make federation work?

[doodlemania2]

@stvslkt You should be able to search for users on other instances by using their fully qualified address like @derek@toot.thedoodleproject.net (me)
To see other instances start showing up in your timeline (Federated timeline), you need to start by adding a relay, otherwise, you're on an island of yourself. I run an open relay at https://mastodon-relay.thedoodleproject.net if you're interested.

[jdaviescoates]

@doodlemania2 said in Need help with my Mastodon server, I can’t search anywhere else but my own:

To see other instances start showing up in your timeline (Federated timeline), you need to start by adding a relay, otherwise, you're on an island of yourself.

I don't think that's true.

Afaik I don't have any relay set-up on https://safejust.space but there is plenty of stuff in my federated timeline.

I think you just have to start following people on other instances.

The most common issue with Mastodon (and Matrix) not federating properly is simply that there is no app set-up on the base domain yet as per https://docs.cloudron.io/domains/#mastodon-server-location

[necrevistonnezr]

This discussion goes to show that IMHO the initial approach of Mastodon is flawed and will not gain the traction I would hope for.

The decentralized approach of instances, federation, users etc. is wonderful in theory but a major roadblock for non-tech-savvy users. You need one easy registration system if you want users to come over and join a different social network... I tried to explain the Mastodon system to my brother (who works for a telcom company) and he just looks at me confused and asks: "Why so complicated? So I can't really reach all users if I post something?"

I'm afraid someone else will fill the void if Twitter really goes under. Hopefully not Tik-Tok.

[girish]

@jdaviescoates I, too, have never needed a relay. What is the purpose of a relay @doodlemania2 ?

[jdaviescoates]

@necrevistonnezr said in Need help with my Mastodon server, I can’t search anywhere else but my own:

This discussion goes to show that IMHO the initial approach of Mastodon is flawed and will not gain the traction I would hope for.

Well, there have been over a million new users and over 4000 new instances in the last week, so it's not going too badly

[doodlemania2]

@girish It's a great way for small instances (like me = a single user instance) can get more quickly integrated into the fediverse. An open relay does just that - everything that happens in a subscribing instance is relayed to all other subscribers for their federated timeline.

One can then add additional relays manually (if they want) but that requires both sides to consent. Open relay is everyone sees all.

Of course, as you follow friends in other instances, those instances will start pushing those friends traffic to you, but you still are semi 'island' - ie, the 'firehose' is much smaller. Open relay helps.

[necrevistonnezr]

@jdaviescoates said in Need help with my Mastodon server, I can’t search anywhere else but my own:

Well, there have been over a million new users and over 4000 new instances in the last week, so it's not going to badly

Registrations, not users.

[jdaviescoates]

@necrevistonnezr said in Need help with my Mastodon server, I can’t search anywhere else but my own:

Registrations, not users.

Possibly, but that's not what the toot says:

"1,028,362 monthly active users"

https://mastodon.social/@Gargron/109300967725833789

But I guess it depends how he's defining "monthly active users" - could well be that it's just that they've logged in this month (because they only joined this week). I guess the interesting stat will be "monthly active users" in a few months.

I wonder how many "daily active users" there are ...(I'd guess still not many but rising exponentially)

[stvslkt]

@stvslkt I was able to fix it thank you

[davidneuner]

@stvslkt and how did you solve the problem?

[fbartels]

@davidneuner there is nothing "to fix". On a given instance you see the content of users on that instance and the users they are following. To see content from other instances you need to follow other users. a relay (as suggested by @doodlemania2) can help seed some content for you to follow.